


The Way You Look (At Me)

by DollyPop



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Het Relationship, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Romantic Fluff, Sexual Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-22
Updated: 2016-05-22
Packaged: 2018-06-09 23:28:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6928735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DollyPop/pseuds/DollyPop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marie has some questionable taste in reading material.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Way You Look (At Me)

She was curled up, prone, vulnerable, on that ridiculous purple couch without any regard to her surroundings. How foolish. How silly. That she believed she was safe in that madhouse was hilarious.

He wasn’t prowling; he wasn’t stepping lightly in the least. But all she did was snuggle down deeper into the cushions, flipping the page of whatever it was she was indulging in, seemingly ignorant of the shadow lurking right behind her.

When Stein finally made it behind her and peered over Marie’s shoulder, he realized that she wasn’t reading a student’s essay or one of her multiple romance novels, but instead a ridiculous magazine with an equally ridiculous article. He clapped both of his hands on her shoulders and came in close to her left ear.

“Please, don’t put a donut around anyone’s penis,” he said, trying to prevent a laughing fit when she jumped and threw the magazine behind her. It went flying past his head, and he ducked to the side so it wouldn’t graze his bolt.

“Franken, don’t sneak up on me like that!”

“You seemed too immersed in your. . .leisurely reading material to notice my footsteps. They were rather loud.”

Marie was blushing in embarrassment, and when he looked at her soul, it was fluttering nervously. He crooked a smile only after she huffed and folded her arms, avoiding his gaze.

“I was reading it for a friend.”

“Ah?”

“For. . .for A. . .Azusa!”

He swallowed down a disbelieving chortle. “Committee must have a wild sexual life if she’s having her best friend read Cosmopolitans’ tips on intercourse for her.”

Marie looked down and fidgeted with a sleeve. “Yes, well. That’s none of your business.”

“Another date tonight?” Stein asked simply, plopping down next to her on the couch. Most of the time, he’d choose to sit across, but being closer to her made him feel at ease.

“No,” Marie said, without the slightest hint of disappointment when she looked at him. “Unless you count eating dinner and then grading papers in the same general vicinity as you as a date?”

He didn’t answer her, nor did he touch her, but she smiled at him all the same. He had the sudden urge to pat her knee, amused. He kept his features schooled from years of practice.

“In the case you have one in the near future, I highly suggest ignoring those ‘tips’. They’re bullshit.”

Marie blushed deeper. He imagined it ran down to speckle over her shoulders with how it traveled down her neck.

“I was just bored, Franken! I was reading them ironically.”

“Hmm,” he answered, watching as she rolled her singular eye and reached for one of the novels on the coffee table, intent on ignoring him until the awkwardness passed. He wanted to sigh when she picked up Frankenstein and cracked it open to where she’d last left off: he had at least 7 copies of the blasted thing in his home (something Kid would be aghast at, he’s certain), gag gifts from uncreative “friends”. Part of him debated leaving, but the silence was pleasant, and Marie was warm, besides which, he was still waiting for the liger to come in through the mail.

Not much to dissect in the general area after Marie released all the rats with tears in her eyes, calling him cruel and talking about how cute they were up until one bit her.

Good times.

His face changed without his permission while he was looking at her, reminiscing, which he didn’t appreciate. At the least, she seemed immersed in her book, and her soul felt at peace, happy and radiant. He immediately twisted his expression back to neutral, letting his head fall back against the couch, but it took a bit longer than usual while he was eased into comfort from her wavelength.

And from her spot next to him, Marie cut her gaze right back up, again, noting the final traces of fondness fade off. But they were there all the same.

She shuffled in closer, smiling into her book while she tucked under his arm. And if he leaned in, well, neither of them would tell anyone.


End file.
